Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Chateau Beausejour, St. Emilion (Premier Grand Cru Classe) 2004
Mature color, medium garnet. Needs a lot of time to open and blow off some over-mature notes. Low key but lovely nose; perfumey dark fruit and tobacco, with succulent red fruit, sweet, chocolatey earth, and lots of dense mineral notes (very 2004). Same notes on the palate, with sweet cherry and fresh blackberry upfront, followed by lots of succulent currant and red plum. On the full side of medium bodied, delicate in texture, medium in length. Not a showy wine, but rather a classic, elegant, mature claret, and every sip is satisfying; good quality and class on display. Very, very nice. I’d say drink now, but I’d recommend an hour decant. 3.5+ Stars [11/23/16]
Tete du Rhone, Cotes du Rhone (blanc) 2015
Delightful personality of stone fruits, pomes, and tropical fruit, balanced by prominent citrus, and lots of mineral. Full bodied, refreshing but also rich in texture (good acid balance). I suspect there’s a healthy amount of Viognier in this. Wonderful stuff. 3 Stars. [11/24/16]
Joao Portugal Ramos, Vila Santa, Alentejo 2014
35% Aragonez (Tempranillo), 35% Trincadeira, 30% Castelao. Earthy, leathery, slightly funky nose of dark, slightly jammy blackberry, cranberry, and raspberry. Similar on the palate, with loads of rich, juicy fruit with good acid tone, and lots of earthy mineral. Medium-full in body; nice texture and presence, succulent, with some savory tones as well. Very Nice! Drink now. 3 Stars. [11/24/16]
Gerard Bertrand, Cuvee Thomas Jefferson, Brut, Cremant de Limoux 2012
Ripe peach and apple, toasted nuts, honey/nectar, and generous orange notes, with stoney mineral. Medium-full bodied, a bit toward the tart side, with rich and creamy but clean in texture, with a slightly fat finish, and good length; good depth too. Fantastic for cheese! 3 to 5 years more. 3 Stars [11/24/16]
Chateau de Deux Rocs, Premices, Cabrieres 2013
On the nose, lots of barnyard and earth, with rich, sweet, dark red fruits. Similar notes on the palate: dark cherry and plum, with sweet earth, tobacco, and leather. On the light side of full bodied, with wonderful, sweet, succulent fruit, prominent acid, and substantial, mineral-laden tannin. A textbook Languedoc, funky but nice. 3 to 5 years more. 2.5+ Stars. [11/24/16]
Maison L’Envoye, Cote du Py, Vieilles Vignes, Morgon 2012
Wonderful, somewhat low key nose of black cherry, pungent herbs, earth/smokey mineral (the igneous rock showing through nicely), and floral notes. Same notes on the palate, with blackberry and black raspberry, maybe a bit of dried citrus peel, and mineral-laden tannin. Light side of full bodied, sweet fruit, succulent/savory texture, nice depth, and good length. 3 to 5 years more. 3+ Stars [11/24/15]
Bergeron Estates, Vidal Icewine Reserve, Niagara-on-the-Lake 2015
Outstanding nose: apricot, floral nectar/honey, and mace/nutmeg; there has to be some botrytis influence here; aromatic and deep. Same notes on the palate, with loads of candied orange peel providing depth and balance, and a nearly endless finish of abundant mineral and spice. Medium-full bodied but with some intensity, burnished in texture, very sweet but not the slightest bit cloying. Absolutely extraordinary, this is as good as, and in many was similar to, a classed growth Sauternes. 10 years ahead, 20 not out of the question. Wow! 4 Stars [11/24/16]